Posts Tagged ‘sedan’

Gambling Lady – Barbara Stanwyck’s 1967 Van Den Plas Princess 4-Litre R

June 11, 2015

There’s nothing quite as un-useful as an undocumented celebrity connection. My mother’s dog heard from the neighbor’s cat that the veterinarian said Barbara Stanwyck once owned this car. Do you really trust the cat, who you’ve seen trying to sneak into the bed when your wife’s in there one too many times, or the dog, who makes calculating looks every time you’re eating a steak? A one-time candidate for the RustyButTrusty fleet, a first-series Alfetta GT 1.8, was said to have been bought new by a US serviceman in Cambodia and then brought back to the states, but with no documentation, it’s hard to say how much of that was fabricated by a previous owner and then passed along by an unwitting current owner (and who was selling cars in Cambodia in 1975 anyways?). Anyhow, odd and unsubstantiated histories aside, check out this 1967 Van Den Plas Princess 4-Litre R for sale for $3500 in the hills of Palo Alto, CA.

1967 Van Den Plas Princess left rear

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Red Roundie – 1973 BMW 2002

June 7, 2015

In spite of the fact it was not the first of its type, if you ask many car enthusiasts of a certain age what the first sports sedan was, they will say “BMW 2002”. Accuracy aside, BMW certainly pulled off something pretty amazing in marketing a mid-range sedan with an upsized engine as something sporty, and convincing a significant part of the population that it was their idea. Of course, as their numbers have dwindled, nostalgic car enthusiasts who miss quaint things like hearing a real engine, shifting their own gears, and rolling their own windows are coming back looking for the remaining 2002s. So it’s nice to find a decent-looking example which just barely squeezes under the self-imposed ceiling of $4000 – check out this 1973 BMW 2002 for sale for $3900 in Portland, OR.

1973 BMW 2002 left front

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Ready for Battle – 1970 Volvo 142S Autocrosser

June 1, 2015

It’s been a while since a Volvo has shown up here, though they’re still one of the best deals going for classic canyon carvers. The boxy 140 and 240 series cars are iconic, can be made to handle quite well with some light modification, and are also pretty hard to kill. At this point, though, many of the older Volvos you see listed are either very high-mileage, or have suffered through the college years with the kids and been left to rot in the backyard. As it happens, the latter case is true for today’s car, but a kind Volvo-nut took it into foster care and did some rehab before sending it back out on the market. Check out this 1970 Volvo 142S for sale for $3200 in San Francisco, CA.

1970 Volvo 142S left front

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